I travel at least once a month and have not brought a suitcase with me in years. I don’t think that suitcases are necessary to bring all that you need on a vacation. Let’s walk through all of the packing tips that I have gathered over the years as an expert on packing the personal item.
The Bag That Works for You
First you need the perfect bag to carry all of your stuff in. I have found a lot of luck at TJMaxx for some great bags. The key in packing light is small compartments. I always look for the bags with multiple hidden compartments to keep things organized.
One bag that I found was a little suitcase, but personal item size. I always hated carrying my bag through the airport so I needed to find a mini suit case. I found this one for about $70 at TJMaxx and have used it for a 2 week trip. This bag is within the dimensions of all airlines to fit under the seat. As a budget traveler I usually fly on Spirit and I have taken this on many trips.
The other option that I found best for packing a personal item was a backpack. This back pack is equip with a laptop compartment and lots on compartments built inside. A nice thing about this one is that it opens like a suitcase. Nothing gets crushed or forgotten about a the bottom of the bag anymore.
I would highly suggest either of these considering they fit perfectly under the seat and store so much. You have a bit more room in the back back vs the suitcase, but it is very worth it to mot have to carry a heavy bag around a huge airport.
Strategic Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are a must if you are traveling these days. With the combination of packing cubes and a compartmentalized bag, there is so much you can fit in a small bag.
When buying packing cubes I would recommend finding a pack of smaller ones, not the ones that take up your whole suitcase. With smaller one it is easier to find specific items like nice clothes, underwear, or a workout outfit.
Packing these cubes requires a system that works for you. I would say you could go two ways with this.
1. Occasion
Pack each cube for the activity you will be doing. So you will pre plan all of you outfits out then pack each of them with underwear, socks, and the correlating accessories.
2. Category
Pack each cube according to the type of clothing they are. Shorts in one, shirts in the other, swim suits and underwear all separated.
Capsule Wardrobe
For packing small, you need to find some versatile outfits. Packing an athletic tank that can double as a nicer shirt is perfect. Bring a couple accessories to change up your outfits and feel new each day.
I tend to focus on a specific color when bringing a capsule wardrobe. For example, if I were to pick blue, I would bring some blue pants a blue shirt and the rest of my clothes would be pretty neutral or have a blue pattern on them. This way pretty much anything can match and your accessories correlate as well.
Planned Packing
Planning is the best thing you can do for light packing. Make sure you think about what you are going to be doing a day to day basis. I have definitely packed a bunch of really cool outfits and then ended up lounging the whole trip. Looking nice is always a must on a vacation but don’t forget to bring some comfy clothes. I always tend to find myself reaching for the comfiest stuff, especially by the end of the trip.
Airport Uniform
What you wear to the airport is the second most important thing when traveling. You have to be comfy of course, so I wear a tight tank underneath a sweater or sweatshirt. With this I am able to adjust what I am wearing on the plane if the person next to me is blasting the air or if I start over heating.
Then I wear some comfy bottoms like sweatpants or shorts. Then I usually wear tennis’s shoes because of the space they take up in my luggage. I also usually bring a fanny pack to have all of my cards and ID readily available. It doubles as my purse on the vacation too.
I would suggest bringing a jacket with lots of pockets to bring anything else you may need. The bulk of the jacket helps to hide the fanny pack if the airline has a one bag policy or you can carry extra accessories.
All in all, packing only a person item on a trip can seem scary at first, but once you do it you’ll never go back. You will tend to get creative if you forgot something, or realize you don’t need all that much to have a fun time. I hope you try it out and I could provide you some guidance on how to have success.